Office Depression
by Vlad Taltos
Summary: The beginning act of a movie about the life of a timid white-collar worker named Jack. Inspired by The Office. This is a take on the more traditional soul-crushing aspects of sitting behind a desk doing fairly useless things all day. This story may be updated in the future depending on if anyone likes it. I known I do, but I don't know where I was going with it is I just stopped.


Ryan Smith 19/4/12

Public Speaking Thirty Word Story

Office Suppression

A barn cat chases a snake through the grass with relish. The brief scene pans out and a hill comes into view. A cow grazes on the hill, though why is obvious as a billboard comes into view boasting a dairy farm advertisement. The view continues to rise and over the hill and billboard a city is revealed.

The intro cuts to a busy street in the city's downtown area. Tall buildings tower above while businessmen with suitcases and women with purses bustle about. Cut to a street vendor and an eccentric man buys a pickle. Cut again to a park where people do yoga in a forest under a blue sky. The flash of a circus scene follows, symbolism for the theme of letting loose.

The rapid-fire montage settles on the room of an office building. Cubicles section off most of the floor into neat cells, and over these many drones are visible doing work. There are office sounds of typing, quiet conversations and the occasional ringing phone. Cut to the main character, John, in one of the cubicles. He stares blankly at the camera, moving only very slightly. The office sounds start to fade, and a low ringing, like shell shock or the humming one sometimes gets in their ear starts to rise over it giving the impression that John is completely lost in space. A feeling of dull routine is evident.

BOOM! The sudden blast of a tuba interrupts the office sounds and John jumps. The floor goes quiet as everyone turns to the boss's private office, where his high school son is here at the office instead of in school. Doing something distracting. Again. This time he is demonstrating his pathetic attempts at playing the instrument. It last for twenty seconds, before the boy is heard saying, "Uh... that's all I've got so far."

The boss smiles anyway, then says something and the boy starts walking out with an arrogant grin. The normal office sounds slowly come back, and after he passes John's cubical John mumbles under his breath, "Nepotism should be a crime if it results in that. " He hears a quiet giggle from somewhere, but when he looks around he does not see anyone.

Cut to a cafeteria scene. John sits at the end of a long table, the few seats around him empty. He eats spaghetti with sausage for lunch and just drops a splotch of red sauce on his light colored office shirt when someone walks over. Looking up he sees it is Mindy, the receptionist, holding a styrofoam tray of her own. They exchange awkward hellos, then she asks, "Is this seat taken?" gesturing toward the chair opposite him.

"No!" John quickly replies, fumbling to slide his tray out of her way.

"So, the boss's kid is pretty talented, huh?" Mindy jokes as she sits.

"Yeah. Especially if they give awards for the loudest."

She laughs lightly, then adds, "Or the smuggest. Have you seen his grin?" She makes a comically stupid face and they both laugh, harder this time. "Hey, you seem like a pretty funny guy. I heard you earlier. The nepotism thing. Have you heard they are re-releasing an old Mel Brooks movie? It's a classic."

"Yeah," John answers, "I forget the name, used to watch it when I was a kid. When is it coming out?"

Mindy shrugs, then says, "Tonight. For some reason instead of a Friday they are opening it on a Thursday. Want to go?"

John blinks for a second, stutters for another and finally comes out with, "Uh...Huh," nodding.

"Woah, don't use too many big words. I'm not sure I can keep up there," Mindy teases, smiling. "Well, I have to go. You get out at five, right?" At his nod she says, "I'll see you in the parking lot."

John looks at where she had been sitting for a few seconds, dumbfounded, then slowly grins. It is genuine, and not in any way smug.

Skip to the movie. John and Mindy sit midway up the seats, both laughing. In the background the ridiculous movie plays. Zoom on the armrest between the two, and as they settle for the next scene John's hand inches towards Mindy's. Sound can be heard, an attack is going on involving plungers, lingerie, a vampire, a teepee and a ninja. At the last moment, without noticing what is going on, Mindy bursts into giggles and moves her hand slightly. In the wrong direction. Not sure anymore, timid John losses his nerve and retreats, but smiles as the movie encourages another bout of laughter.

The two emerge from the theater, both still chucking slightly. Mindy asks, "So, are you hungry?" Not having planed for a formal dinner date, John does not immediately respond. Sensing this she says, "I don't know about you, but I'm hungry for some McDonalds."

Cut to an casual dinner scene at the table of a fast food place. She has a hamburger and a soda, he a cheeseburger and some fries.

Mindy starts out, "I forgot how good that movie was. I haven't seen it in years."

"Yeah. It was pretty ridiculous. Somehow the sappy romance parts actually made it funnier. 'Your dress is like a flower?' Even I can do better than that."

She shots a coy look at him, but then continues, "But I think the polytheism cult was a bad choice for the antagonists, though. I know a Hindu, they don't actually have secret bloodsucking societies or a ritual dulcimer."

"Oh I know that, I studied world religions in college. It was an interest of mine." And with John finally out of his shell they struck up a conversation on the role of Tibetan Monks in the preservation of ancient texts throughout the ages, Mindy occasionally brushing her hair out of her face to see the guy that she is growing to like.

END OF ACT I


End file.
